Ball State Football Weekly News Conference Quotes, September 15: Game 4 at Connecticut
Coach Uremovich
Opening Statement: "Excited to go play a good football team. Coach Mora has done a great job with [Connecticut]. They were 9-4 last year, and 1-2 this year, but could be 3-0 if it weren't for two overtime losses. Offensively, the quarterback can make all the throws. [Coach Mora] has got good, stable wide receivers and dynamic tailbacks. Defensively, they have a really aggressive attack style. They have one of the best special teams coordinators in the country. It will be good challenge for us back on the road."
Q: "What were some of the mistakes that you saw Saturday that you want to see cleaned up?"
A: "We had to sustain our block longer on that situation where we had the safety. It was a miscommunication by our quarterback and our center. That cannot happen. Then there was the situation where we had a fumble on the punt. We were in a rush at that point and we needed to fair catch that punt. Obviously, you can't put it on the ground. Those are all things that are teachable moments that have been covered."
Q: "What does it say about this team, being able to respond to all of those mistakes and still be able to pull the win?"
A: "I'm proud that the guys kept playing and proud they finished the game in the fourth quarter, which is something we talked about a lot. If [the offense] gets the ball back four-and-a-half minutes left in the game and we're winning, we don't want to give it back. Having to punt there and give them one more opportunity is something we've got to be better at offensively. We should've gotten those two first downs and not even have given them an opportunity."
Q: "When the team came and watched film yesterday, did you feel a new kind of energy after getting that first win?"
A: "Yeah, their faces looked a little different coming off a win, but the first thing we talked about was objectively looking at the film just like we did the last two weeks. The emotion of the game is over and we have to analyze what we did good, what we did poorly, and how we can fix it. I know they approach the meetings that way, and I know our staff does. We're more critical of ourselves every week, because we should be getting better and better. The guys should be put in situations and know how to respond. I think they handled that work yesterday, and we will have a good practice on Tuesday."
Q: "We saw Ashton Whitner move to safety after starting at sniper the first couple of games. What is it like to have somebody like that on defense?"
A: "You've got to be pretty smart to do that, because [Whitner] is going from an outside linebacker position and now going to the back end and having to make calls and get us in the right coverage. He'll still continue to play back there some and he'll also play sniper. Our defensive backs meet a lot together and install a lot together. You have to be versatile between the two safeties and sniper position and in both corner positions, because injuries are going to happen. When a guy gets in here, as soon as they we feel like they're fairly competent in what they know at their position, then we start cross training them to know another position too."
Q: "With this being the last game before MAC season starts, what do you want this team to work on the most?"
A: "I just want to see us go and play well on the road. Obviously, it's another opportunity to go on the road in a different environment and play against a really good football team. [UConn]Â played two overtime games, and they were two plays away from being 3-0. It'd be a good challenge for us."
Q: "How have you seen this team change from week one to week four?"
A: "Hopefully we're getting better. Hopefully we're getting better assignment-wise. As you get going into the season, they start to hopefully get into routine. We should be getting more effective in our practices, and they should be getting more effective as they start to learn the game plan and install it. I think as a coach, you learn a little bit about your team every week. Every week you play a game and the game plan might be different, and it is going to be different in terms of formations and your blitzes and all that stuff, but you're learning who's going to perform well and who needs help and who can do what. We should be improving as coaches in terms of how to utilize our personnel and put them in the best position to be successful."
Nathan Voorhis
Q: "What did your time at UConn mean to you?"
A: "I was committed there since about junior year of high school. That's where I wanted to go. They were my first offer. Obviously, I'm close to a lot of those guys and close with some of the coaches, but I haven't been there for a year and a half. A lot of things have changed over there, and I'm ready to play. It's another game for me."
Q: "What do you think emotions are going to be like, going back to where you started your college career?"
A: "I honestly don't know. I spent a lot of time thinking about it in the off season. I've had the game circled for a long time, but once the season starts, you have to take it game by game. For me, right now, I am preparing for this game how I did for Purdue, Auburn, New Hampshire. It's all the same. It's about watching as much film as possible, taking good notes and doing what I have to do to win the game."
Q: "What have you seen out of the UConn offense while watching film?"
A: "They play hard, and they're athletic guys up front. I know them personally. They're going to want to win every game. I know they're a good program. Like [coach Uremovich] said before, they were two plays away from being a 3-0 team. I know they lost the last two in a row, so they don't want to lose another one at home, so I'm prepared for a dog fight."
Q: "The defense had seven pass breakups, nine tackles for loss and four sacks. How good is it to see the defensive unit having that kind of success early in the season?"
A: "It's awesome to see. I'm always happy when my guys make play. Obviously, I try to contribute as much as possible, but really, I get more excited when somebody else makes a big play."
Q: "What's the biggest improvement you've seen from the defensive line so far?"
A: "I think everybody in the room being able to contribute. Obviously, we have the guys that start the game, but we're going to get tired eventually. Everybody is going to have their shot. I'm not sure exactly how many defensive linemen we've played so far this year, but I'm sure it's over 10, probably closer to 12 or 13 guys who all got an opportunity to see meaningful snaps in games. We've just got to make sure everybody's prepared when
they get the opportunity."
Alfred Chea
Q: "What was it that drew you to Ball State from UConn?"
A: "Opportunity. That was one of the biggest reasons."
Q: "Did you interact with [Nathan Voorhis] while you guys were on the team together?"
A: "It was the same as it has been this year. Me and Nate joke around a lot. Knowing he was already here was cool to me, because I came in knowing somebody."
Q: "What's the biggest area of improvement you've seen on the defensive end, especially with the linebackers?"
A: "I like the versatility of our linebacker room. We have a lot of seniors and all of us play, and the coaches feel confident in us as well."
Q: "How is it to see the defense working so well this early in the season?"
A: "It's very cool. It lessens the burden or worry from everyone else, so it makes us feel more confident in each other, and makes me more confident in myself. We build on that energy and we just keep playing.Â
Q: "How much do you feel like you can help your team, since you might know roughly what system UConn is going to run?"
A: "I think I know some keys that show up on film. I already recognized some of the guys that [UConn] may or may not go to, and what they like to do in certain situations."
Coach Uremovich
Opening Statement: "Excited to go play a good football team. Coach Mora has done a great job with [Connecticut]. They were 9-4 last year, and 1-2 this year, but could be 3-0 if it weren't for two overtime losses. Offensively, the quarterback can make all the throws. [Coach Mora] has got good, stable wide receivers and dynamic tailbacks. Defensively, they have a really aggressive attack style. They have one of the best special teams coordinators in the country. It will be good challenge for us back on the road."
Q: "What were some of the mistakes that you saw Saturday that you want to see cleaned up?"
A: "We had to sustain our block longer on that situation where we had the safety. It was a miscommunication by our quarterback and our center. That cannot happen. Then there was the situation where we had a fumble on the punt. We were in a rush at that point and we needed to fair catch that punt. Obviously, you can't put it on the ground. Those are all things that are teachable moments that have been covered."
Q: "What does it say about this team, being able to respond to all of those mistakes and still be able to pull the win?"
A: "I'm proud that the guys kept playing and proud they finished the game in the fourth quarter, which is something we talked about a lot. If [the offense] gets the ball back four-and-a-half minutes left in the game and we're winning, we don't want to give it back. Having to punt there and give them one more opportunity is something we've got to be better at offensively. We should've gotten those two first downs and not even have given them an opportunity."
Q: "When the team came and watched film yesterday, did you feel a new kind of energy after getting that first win?"
A: "Yeah, their faces looked a little different coming off a win, but the first thing we talked about was objectively looking at the film just like we did the last two weeks. The emotion of the game is over and we have to analyze what we did good, what we did poorly, and how we can fix it. I know they approach the meetings that way, and I know our staff does. We're more critical of ourselves every week, because we should be getting better and better. The guys should be put in situations and know how to respond. I think they handled that work yesterday, and we will have a good practice on Tuesday."
Q: "We saw Ashton Whitner move to safety after starting at sniper the first couple of games. What is it like to have somebody like that on defense?"
A: "You've got to be pretty smart to do that, because [Whitner] is going from an outside linebacker position and now going to the back end and having to make calls and get us in the right coverage. He'll still continue to play back there some and he'll also play sniper. Our defensive backs meet a lot together and install a lot together. You have to be versatile between the two safeties and sniper position and in both corner positions, because injuries are going to happen. When a guy gets in here, as soon as they we feel like they're fairly competent in what they know at their position, then we start cross training them to know another position too."
Q: "With this being the last game before MAC season starts, what do you want this team to work on the most?"
A: "I just want to see us go and play well on the road. Obviously, it's another opportunity to go on the road in a different environment and play against a really good football team. [UConn]Â played two overtime games, and they were two plays away from being 3-0. It'd be a good challenge for us."
Q: "How have you seen this team change from week one to week four?"
A: "Hopefully we're getting better. Hopefully we're getting better assignment-wise. As you get going into the season, they start to hopefully get into routine. We should be getting more effective in our practices, and they should be getting more effective as they start to learn the game plan and install it. I think as a coach, you learn a little bit about your team every week. Every week you play a game and the game plan might be different, and it is going to be different in terms of formations and your blitzes and all that stuff, but you're learning who's going to perform well and who needs help and who can do what. We should be improving as coaches in terms of how to utilize our personnel and put them in the best position to be successful."
Nathan Voorhis
Q: "What did your time at UConn mean to you?"
A: "I was committed there since about junior year of high school. That's where I wanted to go. They were my first offer. Obviously, I'm close to a lot of those guys and close with some of the coaches, but I haven't been there for a year and a half. A lot of things have changed over there, and I'm ready to play. It's another game for me."
Q: "What do you think emotions are going to be like, going back to where you started your college career?"
A: "I honestly don't know. I spent a lot of time thinking about it in the off season. I've had the game circled for a long time, but once the season starts, you have to take it game by game. For me, right now, I am preparing for this game how I did for Purdue, Auburn, New Hampshire. It's all the same. It's about watching as much film as possible, taking good notes and doing what I have to do to win the game."
Q: "What have you seen out of the UConn offense while watching film?"
A: "They play hard, and they're athletic guys up front. I know them personally. They're going to want to win every game. I know they're a good program. Like [coach Uremovich] said before, they were two plays away from being a 3-0 team. I know they lost the last two in a row, so they don't want to lose another one at home, so I'm prepared for a dog fight."
Q: "The defense had seven pass breakups, nine tackles for loss and four sacks. How good is it to see the defensive unit having that kind of success early in the season?"
A: "It's awesome to see. I'm always happy when my guys make play. Obviously, I try to contribute as much as possible, but really, I get more excited when somebody else makes a big play."
Q: "What's the biggest improvement you've seen from the defensive line so far?"
A: "I think everybody in the room being able to contribute. Obviously, we have the guys that start the game, but we're going to get tired eventually. Everybody is going to have their shot. I'm not sure exactly how many defensive linemen we've played so far this year, but I'm sure it's over 10, probably closer to 12 or 13 guys who all got an opportunity to see meaningful snaps in games. We've just got to make sure everybody's prepared when
they get the opportunity."
Alfred Chea
Q: "What was it that drew you to Ball State from UConn?"
A: "Opportunity. That was one of the biggest reasons."
Q: "Did you interact with [Nathan Voorhis] while you guys were on the team together?"
A: "It was the same as it has been this year. Me and Nate joke around a lot. Knowing he was already here was cool to me, because I came in knowing somebody."
Q: "What's the biggest area of improvement you've seen on the defensive end, especially with the linebackers?"
A: "I like the versatility of our linebacker room. We have a lot of seniors and all of us play, and the coaches feel confident in us as well."
Q: "How is it to see the defense working so well this early in the season?"
A: "It's very cool. It lessens the burden or worry from everyone else, so it makes us feel more confident in each other, and makes me more confident in myself. We build on that energy and we just keep playing.Â
Q: "How much do you feel like you can help your team, since you might know roughly what system UConn is going to run?"
A: "I think I know some keys that show up on film. I already recognized some of the guys that [UConn] may or may not go to, and what they like to do in certain situations."